William A. Satariano

1946 - 2017

William A. Satariano
Dec. 12, 1946 - May 28, 2017
Pleasant Hill, California
William Anthony "Bill" Satariano, a revered and beloved professor of public health at the University of California, Berkeley, whose work helped aging people lead healthier lives, died on May 28. He was 70.
Bill enjoyed a distinguished career of nearly 30 years at Berkeley studying aging, cancer rehabilitation, the effects of the environment on health, and the benefits of physical activity for older people. He authored two books and more than 100 academic papers. He was a Fulbright scholar, was the holder of the university's endowed chair of geriatrics, and principal investigator for research projects with the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and American Cancer Society. He won awards for his teaching and took pride in the success of his students.
Born December 12, 1946, to Anthony and Mary Satariano, Bill grew up in San Jose, California. Early on, Bill demonstrated a passion for learning. During long study sessions alone in his room, his aunts pleaded with him to come join the family because "your head is going to explode." He was the first in his family to attend college, at Santa Clara University, earning a degree in sociology. He went on to Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, where he earned a doctorate.
At Purdue, Bill met Enid Reichard, who had an office down the hall. They were married in 1972 and had two children, Erin and Adam. Bill's career took the family to New York, where he taught at Alfred University, and then to Berkeley, California, for two post-graduate degrees. The family spent 10 years in Detroit, Michigan, where Bill served as a deputy director at the Michigan Cancer Foundation and the family developed many lifelong friendships.
Bill was lured back to U.C. Berkeley in 1989 to join the faculty in the School of Public Health. He was a strong proponent of "aging in place," designing walkable communities that better integrate older populations. Bill embraced technology and with colleagues developed techniques to use mobile devices, not only to help older people be more physically active, but to empower them to conduct their own assessments of neighborhood walkability and identify risks that could then be rectified. "His life's work led to an immeasurable number of older people living healthier, happier, and longer lives," the university said in a statement.
Bill was a dedicated and inspiring teacher. He co-directed the concurrent masters program in public health and city planning, and directed the hugely popular undergraduate major in public health, ranked the top program in the country. According to colleagues, Bill was always the first to volunteer for challenging assignments. He transformed a traditional community health lecture course to a highly interactive class in which students, working in teams, got hands-on experience planning for public health emergencies. The course attracted ever-increasing enrollments and earned Bill a prestigious university award for innovation in teaching.
For all of Bill's professional accomplishments, he considered family his greatest achievement. Bill and Enid shared a love for bookstores, movies, theater, and the arts. They travelled widely, with trips to Europe and Australia, regular hikes at Gold Lake, and a final visit to London together last year. Bill, known for his quick wit and self-effacing humor, eagerly shared stories of his children and grandchildren, whose activities brought him tremendous joy. He had an easy and laugh-filled relationship with his children, and he took great interest in all their pursuits. His family will forever miss his unwavering love.
Bill died surrounded by family at John Muir Hospital in Walnut Creek, California, from an infection and kidney failure. He was predeceased by his father, Anthony, and mother, Mary.
He is survived by his wife, Enid, and two children, Erin Schwass (Ken) of Chicago, Illinois, and Adam Satariano (Nickie) of London, England; sisters Marilynn Wacker (John) and Patricia Tallerico (Frank); brothers-in-law Claude Reichard (Susanna) and Eric Reichard (Pamela); four grandchildren – George and Nate Schwass, and Leo and Kai Satariano; and nieces, nephews, and cousins.
For those who would like to make a memorial donation, a fund to further public health research in aging is being established in Bill's name at U.C. Berkeley. https://give.berkeley.edu/satariano


View the online memorial for William A.  Satariano